RICS Level 2 Survey in AB55

Across AB55, detached homes made up the majority of sales over the last year, and stone is the main construction material. In Keith and Dufftown, those traditional stone-built dwellinghouses were made to stand the test of time, yet they do come with maintenance needs that buyers from outside the area can sometimes overlook. Our inspectors see them often, so we know exactly where to look first.

Stone walls breathe, taking in and giving out moisture. On older houses, that means the pointing between the stones needs close attention, because mortar weathers and breaks down over decades. Once pointing has gone, water can work its way into the wall and, over time, soak internal plasterwork. Our inspectors take damp meter readings at regular intervals across all external-facing walls, and we flag any raised readings with a recommendation for further investigation where needed.

Roof condition is just as important in this part of AB55. Many stone properties were originally covered in slate, and while good slate can last for well over a century, the fixings, flashings and ridge tiles are much more exposed to wear. Our assessors check the roof from ground level with binoculars, noting the condition of individual slates, the state of lead or mortar flashings at chimney bases and dormers, and whether the ridge line shows movement or deterioration.

Older stock in AB55 often has chimney stacks, many still in use for wood-burning or solid-fuel stoves. If a chimney stack leans, has cracked pointing, or shows efflorescence, those white salt deposits caused by internal moisture, we record it in our report with a condition rating and a suggested course of action. That gives buyers a proper basis for deciding what to do before exchange.

In AB55 you will find everything from 19th-century stone villas to post-war semi-detached houses, and a large share of the stock predates 1945. Morven, a stone villa dating from circa 1880, is a good example of the kind of character property found along Keith's residential streets. Over at Crooksmill near Keith, a Grade B listed former mill dating to at least 1827 shows how deep the heritage of some AB55 buildings goes. Properties like these need careful surveying, because their construction methods predate modern building regulations and their condition depends heavily on each owner's maintenance history.

Pre-1919 stone buildings usually do not have cavity walls. So any problems in the external fabric, cracked stonework, failed pointing, defective flashings, show up directly inside as damp conditions. Modern cavity-wall homes have a built-in buffer against external water, solid-wall stone properties do not. Our reports for pre-1919 properties in AB55 include specific comment on the external fabric and how it relates to the internal damp readings we take.

Between 1945 and 1980, Keith and Dufftown saw a lot of post-war semi-detached and terraced housing built. These homes are more likely to have cavity walls, but some were made with no-fines concrete or other non-traditional construction methods that can affect insurability and mortgageability. Our inspectors note non-traditional construction in the report and advise further investigation where the construction type cannot be confirmed visually.

• Pre-1919 stone-built properties: check pointing condition, flashings, and solid-wall damp performance
• Interwar properties (1919-1945): check roof coverings, timber condition, and any additions or extensions
• Post-war housing (1945-1980): check for non-traditional construction and cavity-wall insulation condition
• Post-1980 properties: check drainage, window seals, and any extensions for building regulation compliance

Keith is a market town on the River Isla, with its population spread across traditional terraced streets, stone-built villas on the edges of town and semi-detached homes built in the mid-20th century. Historically, it has acted as a commercial centre for the agricultural hinterland of the Moray lowlands. Dufftown, a few miles to the south-west, is known internationally as the capital of the Scottish whisky industry. The Speyside Whisky Trail runs through Dufftown and links several famous distilleries, making the distillery sector the main employer in the immediate area and a key driver of local economic activity.

The housing market in AB55 has cooled against its 2022 peak. Average prices across the postcode stand at £179,278, down 1% on the previous year and 7% below the 2022 peak of £192,761. At that level, the cost of a survey is a small slice of the property value, and the savings from spotting defects before exchange, or using survey evidence to negotiate a price reduction, are usually far greater than the survey fee.

Trends within AB55 are not the same everywhere. Some streets and postcode sectors have moved differently from the overall average, with AB55 5AN showing a 122% increase year-on-year in one recent period, while other streets have seen more modest changes. That spread is exactly why independent survey evidence matters, because it anchors the purchase decision in the condition of the specific property, not just in the direction of the wider market.